Apparatus for the manufacture of iron and steel



(No ModeL) J. P. WITHEROW.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRONANDSTBEL. No. 315,587. Patented Apr, 14, 18

mllqesss, Weqlm: a 7 44. Z7 ALI 41/94 lUaiiTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES P. W'ITHERO\V, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND STEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,587, dated April 14, 1885. Application filed January 16, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES PORTER WI'IHE- ROW, of Allegheny city, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Iron and Steel; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The object of my invention is to facilitate and cheapen the conversion of crude cast-iron into ingot iron or steel by the Bessemer or pneumatic process. For this purpose I so combine the blast-furnace in which the iron is produced or melted with the converter and other appliances used by me as to utilize the blast forcing and heating apparatus of the furnace for converting purposes and make the production of steel from the ore a continuous operation in a single plant.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe it by reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a view, partly in section, of a plant embodying my invention. Here A indicates a blowing-engine of any suitable construction, for the purpose of pumping and forcing atmospheric air into the converter to effect the operations and reactions therein. B indicates a \Vhitwell fire-brick or superheating stove, to which the blast passes from the engine by pipes at a, and in which the air may be heated. Q indicates a fixed converter having a blast-main, d, blast-pipes d, tuyeres e, charging-hole f, a slag-metaltapping-hole, g, situated at or slightly above the metal-line, and a tapping-hole, h. The blast-trunk d is connected with the heating-stove B by pipes 11.

My invention is applicable without change and with greateconomy to existing blast-furnace plants. Such'an application utilizes the blowing-engines and blast-heating stoves of the plant, and consequently saves the expense of constructing separate ones for the converter, and at the same time does not interfere with usual and ordinary operation of the blast-fur nace. It also saves the cost of a cupola for melting the metal to be charged into the converter, for it brings the latter near to the blastfurnace, so that it can be charged directly therefrom.

In the drawing, D indicates an ordinary blast-furnace, which in this instance would be used in making suitable pig. It is preferably placed between the stove B and cou'verterG, and is provided with a blast-trunk, z", of the usual construction. The pipe b, which leads to the wind-main d of the converter, is connected to the blast-main 13 and receives the blast therefrom.

Extending from the blast-furnace D to the charging-hole g of the converter is a charging-spout, 7c, of the usualconstruction. This spout enables the converter 0 to be charged from time to time directly fronrthe blast-furnace. As, however, it is often undesirable to tap the metal from the blast-furnace every time the converter, which is relatively very much smaller than theblast-furnace, is charged, I have provided a vessel or receptacle, E, having a tap'hole, j, capable of holding any desired quantity of metal. Itis preferably constructed to take the whole amount of a cast from the blast-furnace, but may be made for or used with a smaller quantity. It may be mounted on the piston l of a hydraulic cylinder, Z, placed in the bottom of a pit, m, made in the floor of the casting-house, whereby the vessel can be raised out of or lowered into the pit, which is constructed of firebrick, and is designed to inclose the vessel and maintain the heat of the metal, so as to keep it as long as necessary in the proper molten condition for tapping off into the converters, of which there may be several. The mouth of the vessel E, when it is sunk in the pit m, is on a level with or slightly below the metal-tap hole n of the blast-furnace, so that the molten metal can be tapped directly from the blast-furnace into it. It may, if desired, be dropped below the level of the floor.

when filled, and the top of the pit closedbya suitable door or cover.

Then it is desired to charge the crucible G, the vessel E is raised to the charging-spout k, as indicated by broken lines,the stopper withdrawn from the tap-holej, and the requisite quantity of metal permitted to flow into the crucible 0. Thus the vessel E constitutes an intermediate distributing reservoir for the metal after its withdrawal from the blast-furnace, the use of which obviates the necessity of interfering with the regular anduniform operation of the blast-furnace by the frequent tapping off of the relatively small quantity of metal necessary to charge the converter or converters, the time required for the operation in the latter being so short that they need to be charged several times between each regular tapping of the blast-furnace. The intermediate vessel, E, may, if desired, be used in connection with a cupola, F, in which case its operation would be the same as has just been described.

The use of the hot or superheated blast is of great advantage in case the molten metal in the converter becomes too cold for its proper treatment therein, as in case scrap is charged, or the heat-producing elements are exhausted, or nearly so, for the heat imported by the blast so increases its calorific power as to enable it to restore the metal to its proper condition of fluidity. Thus much of the danger of the metals chilling in the converter is taken away. It also augments and intensifies the reactions in the converter, shortening the blow, and aids in the dissociation of the inipurities, which may be tapped off during the blow.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a blast-furnace, a blast-heating stove, a converting-vessel, an intermediate distribt lting-receptacle, and connections for theblast and transfer of the metal, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination of a blast-furnace with a converter having side tuyeres, and a cindertap at or near the metal-line, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination of a blast-furnace and converter, blast-connections extending from the'blast-furnace to theconverter, and tuyeres provided with stoppers to control the blast at the converter, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of January, A. D. 1884.

JAMES P. WITHEROW.

\Vituesses: I

W. B. CORWIN, THOMAS B. KERR. 

